If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

The Cost of Eating Healthy

04-26-2013, 10:32 AM

Damn, eating primal food seems to be expensive! Been doing this for 2 months now. Before starting primal eating, I was spending about $200 (CAD) on groceries. For the past 2 months it's been almost double that. What gives? Unfortunately I don't have any receipts from before to compare. Anyone have cost-saving tips.

I literally started primal eating two days ago, but did my first shopping trip yesterday and spent less than $50. This gave me enough food for at least a week. But I'm a female so I eat less than you, plus I do two intermittent fasting days a week, so that saves some money there Also, a big part of it is where you live and what shopping options you have. My $50 may translate to $100 for where you live and shop. I am keeping it really simple, since I'm just starting out-chicken, veggies, eggs, some naturalish sausages I got on sale, and then I made Mark's tomato soup and spicy meatball recipes-both were cheap to make and will be several meals worth. Also, I'm loving tbe pancake/egg recipe that's posted in the recipe section-only costs a few cents to put together, takes a couple minutes to make and they taste awesome!

Comment

I'm not sure if you're eating all grass-fed and pastured, but you don't have to. If you stick with lean cuts of meat such as boneless, skinless chicken breasts, top round roasts, etc., as well as whole squid or clams/mussels that will save you some money. I buy these things along with grass-fed ground beef every week.

As for your produce, it doesn't all need to be organic. I only buy organic for the dirty dozen. I find that my local farmer's market is quite reasonable for things like leafy greens, apples, bell peppers, berries etc.

You can get a bag of potatoes and white rice for next to nothing and eat these on your workout days.

I feed my family of four for $85(US)/week. I'm not sure what that comes to in CAD. Hope this helps!

Comment

Invest in a stand up freezer and buy in bulk. High initial cost but very soon you'll make that back through consistent savings. That way you can take advantage of temporary "specials" and as long as you package it correctly it'll last in the freezer for a long time.

Personally, I'm in the process of buying 1/2 a grass fed and finished Lowline Angus steer. About $4.00/lb.

"It's true, you are a good woman. Then again, you may be the antichrist."

Comment

Comment

As someone who also lives in Canada, I feel your pain... food is so expensive here (Toronto). I can't always afford to buy organic/grass-fed/pastured everything so I try when I can afford it but otherwise I just shop at a "regular" grocery store. I eat a lot of starches now so that is super cheap. Whether it will fit in with your primal way of living is something you'll need to decide. I eat a lot of white rice and potatoes now and it fills me up and rice and taters are both dirt cheap! I eat a lot of canned sardines too, and you can get these at grocery stores for fairly cheap.. I buy them at an Asian supermarket and they're under $1 a can. Also, this sounds odd but intermittent fasting has helped me. I don't (usually) eat breakfast or lunch so I don't ever have to really worry about those meals. I do have fairly large dinners but again starch is a big filler for me.

Comment

also, you may have to shop around a bit. i found that when i lived in the city, i probably shopped in about 4 different stores based on price differences. one store had rock-bottom veg/fruit, other had more sales etc.

check out online ordering too for goods like coconut oil, spices etc. i get lots from well.ca but have to keep my eye out for sales to make it worth my while.

also like the above, you don't need to buy organic everything. buying seasonally also helps as stores tend to get more in bulk so have to reduce price.

for me the take home is it makes me more aware of food, price/cost and where it comes from. it's a good thing BUT it takes a little time to maximize your dollar!

Comment

I will also add, from personal experience, that you've got to make sure you're considering the cost of non-grocery meals before going Primal/Paleo. I know how much I spent before I did, and I spent a ridiculous additional amount eating out because I was too lazy to cook what I bought... I consider my food costs to have decreased significantly.

Comment

Any time I think this way of eating is expensive, I consider the cost of cancer, diabetes, obesity, rotting teeth, or any of the other diseases of civilization. Makes grass-fed beef and pastured eggs seem a bargain by comparison.

The Champagne of Beards

Comment

It's very informative to do a slow recon of the $/lb. figure on meat and produce. I buy a lot of bulk carrots, bananas, clementines, canned seafood, turkey dark meat, and gratuitous butter vehicles like cabbage and yellow onions.

Comment

Damn, eating primal food seems to be expensive! Been doing this for 2 months now. Before starting primal eating, I was spending about $200 (CAD) on groceries. For the past 2 months it's been almost double that. What gives? Unfortunately I don't have any receipts from before to compare. Anyone have cost-saving tips.

Are you cooking more of your own food and eating out less? Your grocery bill will go up, but your total food budget will go down.

Also, if you weren't actually budgeting or tracking before, how can you be really sure? Are you making bigger shopping trips, instead of several small ones? Are you counting just food, or including non-food also?

I asked a friend recently what she spends on groceries for her family of 5 and she said about $200/week. I thought that was a little low based on what I know of their eating/spending habits...turns out thats just what she spends at COSTCO in a week. Not any other grocery spending.

Comment

And yes, I have a ton of $ saving tips for you! Without knowing what you've been doing already, here goes:

- shop the sales and stock your freezer and pantry when you find rock bottom deals. If something like coconut milk or toilet paper is half price, buy as many as the sale allows (a limit means its a loss leader, and the store isn't making any money on it, so its a good deal)
- keep a "don't spend more than x" price list for your most common food items. And stick to it. You won't always find a sale, but at least you won't get ripped off.
- build your menus around what you have on hand, not the other way around. If you buy just what you need as you go, you'll pay full price most of the time.
- be open to eating the same meat all week long if that's what you bought on sale
- be open to eating produce and cuts of meat you don't normally eat
- be prepared to shop at more than one store. Deals are cyclical (6weeks, 12 weeks) and every store is on a different cycle.
- don't believe the hype that Superstore and Walmart have the lowest prices.
- clip coupons for non-food items. This is where the biggest grocery store savings are.
- buy produce thats in season. build your menus around what you buy on sale
- buy meat from a butcher in bulk, 'cowshare' a 1/2 or 1/4 cow with friends if you dont' have the room or the budget for the whole thing.
- rice and potatoes are your friends.
- cheese is a budget breaker
- shop the ethnic markets and small produce stores
- plan to eat your leftovers, don't waste food
- cook all your own food and don't eat out
- don't get hung up on buying organic, pastured, grass fed.
- buy the best you can find with the resources you have.